Electrical keyboard-heater and tone-preserver for pianos and organs.



PATENTED JULY 30, 1907. R. R. TURNER & J. G. BERNI' IT. I ELECTRICAL KEYBOARD HEATER AND TONE PRBSERVER FOR PIANOS Great-0- AND .ORGANSY. APPLIUATION FILED MAR. 7. 1906.

, wmvasss: $2114 721.

% I ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

ROSE RICE TURNER AND JOHN CHARLES BERNITT, OF SPOKANE, WASHING-TON.

ELECTRICAL KEYBOARD-HEATER AND TONE-PRESERVER FOR PIANOS AND ORGANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1907.

Application filed March '7, 1906. Serial No. 304.633.

To all whom it may concern:

,"ie it known that we, Rosn RICE TURNER and JOHN llIARLES BERNITT, citizens of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane, State of Washington, have jointly invented a new and useful Electrical Keyboard-Heater and Tone-Preserver lor Pianos and Organs, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to the application of heat to the keyboard and principal mechanism of the instrument by means of an electrical heater, and the objects of our invention are: first, to warm the keys of the instrument, and second, to reduce the moisture in the instrument. We attain these objects by the installation of the electrical heater under the keyboard of the piano or organ as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a top view of the keyboard of a piano or organ as it appears alter the removal oi a number of the keys and the installation of the electrical heater. Fig. ii is a vertical section 01 the same with the electrical heater therein.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The resistance of the heater is distributed in such a manner as principally to warm the front part of the keys and the principal mechanism of the instrument as shown by the drawings. As resistance, may be used Germansilver, copper, or iron wire, and as insulator asbestos, rubber, mica, or some other non-conductor.

For the purpose oi illustrating the accompanying drawing we will use Gerinansilver wire and asbestos as resistance and insulator respectively. The resistance creating the heat is distributed in the following manner: For the application of an electrical current of about 110 volts, use about 250 feet of No. 22 Germansilver wire, of which about feet are placed in coil A, Fig. I, which is located underneath the keys, F, in front of the first row ol iron pegs or guide pins, G, the lull length of the keyboard. About feet of wire is placed in coil ii, which is located underneath. the keys between the two front rows of iron pegs, G and II, that is, the guide pins G, and balance pins H. The balance of the wire is equally distributed in three coils O D and E, placed between the second row 01' iron pegs and the principal mechanism of the instrument.

As shown in Fig. I at a, b, c, d, and in Fig. 11 at a, I)", d coil B consists of one layer of asbestos on the top of the key-board, a, one layer of wire, I), one layer of perforated asbestos, c, and one layer of wire, (1. Coil A is constructed the same as coil B, as shown in Fig. I at (1 b 0, (F. The electrical current enters coil A in the upper layer of wire and also passes through the lower layer of wire of the coil same; next enters the upper layer of coil 13 and also passes througl'i the lower layer of the same coil, and from there passes through coils O, D and E in series.

In order to regulate the heat, instal controller, I Fig. I, increasing the heat by moving lever f from connection g to connection 71., which cuts out coil E, and further increasing the heat by moving the said lever to connection 'L, cutting out coil D, practically as shown in said drawings.

The heater may be manui'actured for the use of any voltage-current by simply changing the resistance of the heater correspomlingly.

For large church organs where a larger space has to be heated, the heater will be arranged in two or more sections and connected up in multiple.

What we claim as our invention and for which we desire to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. An electrical heating device for use in pianos and organs, a heater 11, consisting of one layer of insulating material on the top 01' the key-board (1 one layer of coiled resisting wire in, one layer of perforated insulating mate rial c, and one layer of resisting wire :1 a heater A, un der the keys and in front of the guide pins G constructed in the manner and ol the same material as id healer l, and coils C, D and E, of resisting wire at e rear of said coils I3 and A, said coils heated by an electric battery, Slll)- stantially as shown and described, and for the purposes set forth.

:2. An electrical heating device for use in pianos and organs, a heater 13, consisting of one layer of insulating material on the top of the keyboard 01, one layer of coiled resisting wire '0, one layer of perforated insulating material c and one layer of resisting wire (1 a heater A, under the keys and in front of the guide pins G, construct ed in the manner and of the same nuiteriul as said heater B; coils C, 1) and E, of resi ting wire at the rear of said healers B and A, and a heat controller .T, adapted to regulate the heat, substantially as shown and described. and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereot' we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROSE RICE TURNER. JOHN CHARLES BERNITT.

Witnesses .lnssrn M.\oGnnem:,

L. H. Pavrnnn. 

